The Experiment
by thecauldronmeasuringoffice
Summary: The night of September 9th, 1975. Two girls, identical twins. Born to Drs Hugo and Rose Granger, only one want home. What happened to the other one?
1. One: The Prologue of Doom

**AN: Hello, everyone. When I was reading, this list of Dramione fanfic clichés, I came across the plot for this. I wanted to see if I could do something with it, because it's an interesting plot, just people 'Mary-Sue' it all the time. While I found this in Dramione clichés, all the pairings will be cannon, unless otherwise stated. So, just as a recap, NOT Dramione.**

**Chapter One: The Prologue of Doom**

It wasn't a dark and stormy night on the 9th of September 1979. It wasn't a full moon. There wasn't any sign that Rose and Hugo Granger were about to be rushed to the hospital. But these things happen the way they happen, and so the couple were whisked away to the local hospital. A very pregnant Rose and a mildly nauseous Hugo were sent to the maternity ward by a receptionist with a globe on his desk, and from there a doctor, whom they never found out the name of, took them to a birthing room.

"Is she going to be alright?" asked Hugo. He'd heard that first pregnancies were the hardest. He didn't really understand why, but it was in one of Rose's books. And books could always be trusted.

"She'll be fine," said the nurse as she wheeled Rose into the room. Hugo rang his mother-in-law, Portia to tell her that the baby was coming. She told him she was on her way. Hugo sat down on one of the chairs. He was bent over, his hands clasped in his lap. Hugo could hear his wife yelling, and something made a loud beep inside the room. It was understandable, labour had a tendency to be painful.

A young man walked out of the room. "Do you mind if we sedate your wife?" he said, far too happily.

"I'm sorry?" asked Hugo, _why did they need to sedate Rose?_

"We need to sedate your wife. She is being quite unmanageable, she almost disconnected one of our machines," he said. "Eeeeeeeeeee!" he squealed.

Hugo leaned back in his chair. He was a little bit afraid of the junior doctor.

"It's my first day on the job, I'm so excited," the doctor explained. "So can we sedate her? It will make this whole thing far easier on her, and us, we've gotten her consent,".

"It won't hurt her? Or the baby?" Hugo asked.

"No sir," said the junior doctor. "I, Doctor Bradford, will make sure no harm comes to your family,".

"Thank you," said Hugo as Bradford walked back into the room. Hugo _would_ be in there with his wife, but his mother had advised him that Rose wouldn't want that. Heaven knows why. But Hugo thought that his mother would know best when it came to these things.

It seemed like an eternity after the yelling stopped, though it was probably only an hour. Hugo had forgotten his watch. A small bang came from the room, but it didn't trouble Hugo. It sounded like Bradford or the other doctor had tripped. That didn't bother him. It was a few more minutes before the lady doctor came out with a small pink bundle in blankets.

"Congratulations on your new daughter," said the nurse, smiling. Hugo took her and looked at the pink, crying, _alive_, person in his arms.

"What are you going to call her?" asked the doctor. She had conjured up a clipboard.

"Hermione," said Hugo. "Like in Shakespeare, you know?".

"I do actually, my parents used to take me to the theatre when I was younger, your wife suggested the same name," answered the doctor. She left the baby with Hugo and walked back into the birthing room to an unconscious woman, a dead body, and a crying baby that was making no noise. 'Desdemona' the woman had said the second girl was called. The doctor, whose name was Risdon picked up the baby, who remained silently crying and turned toward the middle of the room, where a man with shoulder-length white blond hair was melting from nowhere. He wrinkled his nose at Bradford, who had been stabbed in the back of his head with the scalpel used for the C-section. The blood was getting on his shoes.

"Does it have a name?" he asked.

"Desdemona, Desdemona Granger" said Risdon airily. She offered the babe to the man and he pulled out a stick and magicked up a sling to carry her in. Risdon fitted Desdemona into it and looked at the man. It was so nice not to be worrying about the consequences of hiding a child from its parents. The blond man got a firm grip of the sling, with its new weight and pointed the stick at her.

"Avada Kedavra," he whispered. She left without a thought.

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><p>"I have a feeling this shall be quite a fun experiment, Severus," said Voldemort gleefully.<p>

"Of it will, my Lord," replied Snape, "it has a certain macabre humour to it,".

"It does, doesn't it?" Voldemort was very pleased with himself.

"There's nothing funnier that anyone could come up with," Bellatrix chimed in, "Teaching a Mudblood to kill it's kin. You'd think they'd at least be capable of telling their own kind,".

"They are Mudbloods, Bellatrix, everything civilised is above them," Voldemort explained. Footsteps could be heard down the hallway. There was a knock at the door.

"That must be Lucius,come in." Voldemort called. Lucius Malfoy walked in just then, with a baby in sling.

"Ahh, Lucius your grasp of etiquette still amazes me," Voldemort smiled.

"I didn't want to sully my hands," responded Lucius.

"Quite right. Does it have a name?".

"I was told its name is Desdemona Granger,"

"What a nasty Mudblood sounding name," commented Bellatrix.

"Quite," agreed Snape, "Are you sure it is even capable of magic?".

"When I was at Hogwarts as a governor last, it was quite easy to check the book for Mudblood births, and from there, select a convenient one," said Lucius.

"How ingenious, Lucius. You _shall _be rewarded for this," granted Voldemort.

"Who is to be burdened with it?" asked Snape, looking at Voldemort.

"The Carrows, I think. Alecto in particular. She has been showing unreasonable signs of mercy while putting Mudbloods in their place,".

"Uhhh," Bellatrix groaned. "they'll be filthy Weasleys, the next we see them,". She looked and felt utterly revolted.

"However, Amycus has particular taste for sadism, which I think would be greatly helpful in… Desdemona's… education," Voldemort and his followers laughed.


	2. Two: The Graveyard Shift

**A/N: This is my first full-length fic, bear with me here guys, I'll probably be slow at updating, but I promise to update at least once a month. Sorry :). I do not own HP. Or MOST of this chapter.**

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><p><strong>2. The Meeting of Fate<strong>

Desdemona Carrow was sitting in a leather armchair in the library, when Alecto Carrow walked in.

"Back straight, girl, your blood gave you a strong spine, use it," Alecto barked. Desdemona looked up from her book, _Hogwarts: A History_. Alecto had been out, meeting with some other Pureblood women, like Narcissa Malfoy and Praecipua Goyle. She was holding her wand in one hand, and a vial of navy potion in the other.

"How was it, Mother?" asked Desdemona.

"It was, fine, Thank you for asking," said Alecto. "Now, here is the final solution for the Animagus transformation, I had it imported especially for you,". She was too good to Desdemona. When she had inquired about wanting to attempt the animagus transformation, Alecto had recruited a successful attempt from the register, Martin Musculus . Granted, Alecto had proceeded to torture his method out of him, and she had killed him once his mind snapped, but it was a kind gesture all the same.

"It for the final boost?" asked Desdemona, putting her book down. The way Musculus had achieved it, was to work some self-timed Transfiguration and Charm spells, and then use an old complicated Babylonian potion to achieve his animagus form. Predictably, Musculus was a mouse. When he was killed, his family had reported that they assumed he had been eaten by a bird of prey or a cat. The navy potion swirled and bubbled inside of its vial. Alecto offered it to Desdemona.

Drinking felt like her entire throat was vibrating. Her body was shaking and she had trouble breathing. Her body was literally shaking. Shaking so fast Desdemona thought she had to be a blur to the outside. It was making her quite dizzy. There were dark blue sparks at the sides of her vision and it was getting darker… and darker… and darker… And then Desdemona turned into a fair size scorpion and it ended. The world was big, and seeing so many copies of the one thing seemed right from down here. And then Desdemona was a witch again.

"Brava, Desdemona, I knew you could manage it," said Alecto as she read the blurb of Desdemona's book.

"I was a scorpion," she said.

"That's lovely, I have to go, have fun with your new body," Alecto took her leave. This was normal, she was always off wining and dining with other respectable women. Desdemona called for the house elf to make her some food. She was _ravenous_, and Desdemona had hardly noticed it. Apparently it was normal, after the heavy magic depletion. The house elf returned with a small helping of Sheppard's pie, her favourite. When Desdemona had finished eating she gave the plate to the house elf and dismissed it.

She transformed again, and still being a spider seemed instinctual. It felt natural to have eight legs and eyes. She walked along the floor, sticking to the shadows, trying to remain inconspicuous. It would be quite irritating if someone squashed her. Desdemona was still surprised at how natural being a completely different animal was. She scuttled over the carpet and weaved along the edge of the floor and the sideboard.

In her room, she transformed back to her human self and looked in the mirror. It was said that there were a minor alterations, in order to accommodate the transformations. She couldn't see anything thing particularly different. Frustrating brown hair, medium brown eyes, teeth that used to be too large. Alecto had altered them when she was eleven and buck teeth were no longer consider 'cute'.

Desdemona knew that there was pureblood breeding in her. Even though she couldn't see it. Alecto had been engaged to a highly respectable foreign pureblood man, who had been killed in the line of service just before the Dark Lord's downfall. Alecto refrained from mentioning his name. After all, if Desdemona had been tortured by the Ministry, she'd have been able to give away the name of a Death Eater family. She noticed that her eyebrows were starting to grow out of shape, and charmed them back to an elegant shapeliness that Alecto had taught her.

Desdemona flopped back on her bed. And then she got up because purebloods don't flop. She turned back into a scorpion and scuttled back under the door to the kitchen. Her home seemed so much bigger and darker as an arachnid.

Something huge thudded against her.

And again.

Desdemona transformed back and turned to look at her assailant. It was the house elf. The house elf had hit her with a broom.

"S-sorry, miss! P-pip-" it started squeaking.

"I don't care, if you're sorry! You dared to hit me while I was a scorpion! You hit me with a broom! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!". That elf didn't deserve to breathe the same air as Desdemona.

"Clothes,". That one word was enough to send the elf to the ground.

"N-NO! P-please, miss, P-pippin d-didn't m-mean to h-hit Mistress D-dessy!" The elf on its knees tried to grab Desdemona and she kicked it off. The frail elf hit the wall three feet away. She ran down the hall to her bedroom to find the nicest robes that would fit it. She pulled out a set of dress robes that were enchanted to change colour according to the wearer's emotional environment. It was then that Amycus rushed in.

"The Dark Lord has summoned us. We must leave at once," he was very grave. But then, of course, he usually was. Amycus was wearing a dark cloak and a mask. The Dark Lord had obviously been called.

Amycus turned the colour-changing robes into a portkey and we reappeared in front of Alecto, in the dining room. She was dressed the same as Amycus.

"I found her," said Amycus seriously. He flung the robes on the ebony dining table and grabbed me again. I felt like I was being compressed into nothing. When it stopped, Desdemona found they were at a graveyard. It was old and there were other people, in dark cloaks and masks. I was glad I had decided on navy blue today. All of us moved toward him, honoured to once again, or in my case for the first time, to be in the presence of such a revolutionary as The Dark Lord.

One of our number dropped to his knees and kissed The Dark Lord's robes, and we followed his example, we had to prove ourselves worthy to follow this great man's path. We formed a gapped circle and I noticed two things. First, that there was a dead body on the ground, and second, that there was a boy tied to a headstone. He was short and had ridiculous black hair. I assumed he was Harry Potter. Finally brought to justice. We made eye contact for a second.

"HERMIONE!" he yelled. Who was Hermyohnee? I looked away and did my best to enforce that I knew nothing to do with whom he yelling about.

"Shut up, Potter," The Dark Lord's wand flicked in His hand and Potter was left silently screaming. Thank heavens. He turned His gaze to me.

"Desdemona Carrow," He said, a strange sort of smile alighting on his wondrous face. Like He knew something funny about me that I didn't. Maybe father had been something of a joker.

"How wonderful to see you again," He drawled. "The last time _I _saw _you_ was thirteen years ago, the very same day, incidentally, that the mongrel tied to that filthy headstone over there had an extremely powerful shield cast over him by his filthy mudblood mother,". Potter fought against his bonds even more when the Dark Lord mentioned his mother.

"You were just a year old and promising to be a fine pureblood,". I relished His praise. "And then by a lucky chance this brat's mother bested me,". He turned back to Potter. As He welcomed the other Death Eaters, I noticed Potter was still looking at me. He seemed to be trying to communicate. Was he still confusing me with Hermyohnee? I looked back at the Dark Lord, His regal voice and vibrant red eyes were deservingly harsh on us.

A man, I think, fell to the ground and pleaded for forgiveness. The Dark Lord turned His wand on him. The man curled up and shrieked. The sound must have carried for a long while. The Dark Lord released the spell and resumed speaking. He turned to a snivelling, sobbing pile on the ground and recounted how the pile, Wormtail, had aided Him. The Dark Lord took his wand and twisted it through the night, the wand tip leaving a gleaming silver trail in its wake. The silver moulded and formed itself into a human hand which attached itself to Wormtail's arm. Wormtail thanked Him, while The Dark Lord regarded him coolly. He went among the Death Eaters and reprimanded them of their transgressions and praised the Lestranges. Lucius Malfoy asked of how The Dark Lord had returned. The Dark Lord told us of how he had bid his time in Albania; of how he had possessed a wizard to acquire the Philosopher's Stone; of how, three years after Potter had dispatched the wizard, Wormtail had finally returned to Him.

The Dark Lord recounted how Wormtail had brought Bertha Jorkins to Him and how Wormtail had managed to return Him to a body. He then spoke of the Triwizard Tournament, and how Potter had come to be here in the first place. And then the Dark Lord turned on him. Potter was given his wand back. He wobbled slightly when Wormtail untied him. He looked at me again. Why was he looking at he. The Dark Lord flicked his wand at Potter, removing the silencing charm. The Dark Lord spoke to Potter, asking him, quite politely, to bow before their final duel. Potter refused. What awful manners Muggles have. Potter dropped and screamed when he was hit with the Cruciatus. It was a bit funny, the way he rolled on the ground. I smiled, so did Amycus and Alecto. When Potter was Imperio'd, he yelled 'I won't'. He rolled behind a gravestone and the Dark Lord, began his endgame. He slowly walked towards Potter's hiding place when Potter jumped out and cast a spell.

The green and red curses met. And then they turned to a golden dome.

The Dark Lord and Potter were lifted into the air and carried to a space free of graves. We followed their progress and stood watching when the Dark Lord commanded us to do so. It seemed like the battle would go on forever, while an awful piecing noise shredded the silence. Amycus had once told me it was phoenix song. Little beads of light danced where His and Potter's wands connected. As the beads wandered closer to the Dark Lord and connected, the ghost of the dead boy on the ground erupted from it. It said something to Potter and the wand started screaming. Another figure, an old man, crawled out of… wherever they came from. This one spoke too.

A third person, a woman, clambered out of the wand. The… ghosts or whatever they were started pacing around the dome whispering to the Dark Lord and Potter. And then, the thing that everyone in the clearing had been expecting to happen since sine the dead boy's resurrection, Lily, and then James Potter stepped out of the Dark Lord's wand. They walked towards Potter, probably hoping to give him some small scrap of comfort before his death.

The golden dome broke and I stopped knowing what was happening. Potter was running towards the abandoned Triwizard Cup and the body, he glanced at me once, and redoubled his efforts. I turned to Alecto to ask what I should do.

"Run, and see if you can attack him," she told me, "if you bring Him Potter, you will be revered above all of us,". She pushed me towards him. He was waving his wand but I couldn't hear what he was saying. When the body and the Cup started flying towards him everything became overly clear. Get Potter. It was like race, whether I, or the Summoned objects would arrive first. Neither of us won. We all did. I tapped his shoulder, so did the body, so did the Cup. There was that familiar pulling behind my navel that seemed to go on forever. Where was I going? What was going to be there? WHO was going to be there? What would happen? What would Potter's friends do? What-

I don't quite know how I landed on my feet, but I did. There was screaming and crying and yelling. I was too frightened to move. What was going to happen to me? And a bolt of red light hit my chest. I toppled down and looked at my attacker, who was hugging Potter. I was looking at myself.

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><p><strong>AN: So… there you are. The next bit. I'll try to be faster, the next time. Pinky swear, guys. Oh, yes, and about the SS/PS thing. Only America had the book title changed, so therefore I will be referring to the Stone by its correct name. I really don't care if you dislike me because of that.**


	3. Three: Would Rather Have Been Stepped On

**Hey, guys. Really don't have an excuse here. The chapter's been written for ages, I just couldn't be bothered to type it up until yesterday. Here are, then.**

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><p>I didn't remember falling asleep. I woke up in a bed in a long hall with Potter lying on a bed several yards down the room from me. That fat Weasley woman that was in the Prophet last year was talking to him. A blond lady was walking down the aisle, rushing towards me. I tried to sit up, but it was like I couldn't rise more than half-way. I hit the restraint and bounced back on to the bed.<p>

"Oh, you're up," said the witch, who flicked her wand at me. "You seem to be healing well,".

"Healing from what?" I asked. What had that rabble inflicted on me?

"When the portkey brought you and Mr Potter here, in the confusion, you were Full-Body-Binded and then trampled slightly. But as I said-"

"Where am I?" I cut her off. "Who are you?". She frowned like it wasn't my right to ask.

"I am Madame Pomfrey, the Matron of the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," she said, a bit too fast to be wholly polite. I was at Hogwarts. I had never been to Hogwarts before. Alecto always said it was because of all the muggle trash that the idiotic Albus Dumbledore allowed in. It was even said, of all things, that a werewolf had taught Defence Against the Dark Arts. It would be funny if it wasn't so horrific.

"Hello dear! You were right, Poppy. The resemblance is uncanny," the dumpy redhead that was tending to Potter had wandered over.

"Get away from me! Blood traitor!" Merlin knew where she had been. The Weasley frowned and stalked off, probably to give birth.

"Do not use that phrase in this hall, thank you," Madame Pomfrey was being quite curt.

"And WHY shouldn't I?" It was true. Everyone knows the Weasleys are the most common and disgraceful excuse for wizards to ever haunt England. The doors at the far end of the hall opened and the old cretin Dumbledore himself strode in. If you can call flopping on the end of Potter's bed striding. As he sat, his bespectacled eyes flickered over to mine for a second. So fast, I couldn't even be sure that he really did.

"Do not even consider insulting Albus Dumbledore," intoned Madame Pomfrey, looking at me while she measured out potions.

"Why not?" I frowned, was she a Legilimens?

"Because there is a rather large bearded man outside who owns a pink umbrella and who is not afraid to poke you with it if disagree with him,". Charming. Pomfrey held a large tablespoon out, it was filled with viscous grey syrup. It tasted like dust and I gagged a bit before finally swallowing. I had to take five more mouthfuls. Dumbledore walked over and talked to Pomfrey so quietly I couldn't hear. She looked put out, but she went quickly up the aisle towards Potter. Who was sitting up WITHOUT restraints, cheery as you please. Dumbledore conjured a chair, and sat next to me.

"Hello,". I didn't say anything. My mind was sharpening again, how could I have been so weak a few minutes ago? Alecto would surely have thought the worst.

"If you keep frowning like that, you'll stay that way," he said, pleasantly. What?

"Would you care for a sherbet lemon?" What is a sherbet lemon?

"They are a rather nice muggle sweet I'm fond of,". Muggle? Bleargh. I crossed my arms.

"I will remove the enchantments on the bed, if you do not try to escape,". I nodded, some movement was better than none. I could analyse the situation and make a decision.

"You won't be allowed to leave," Dumbledore reminded me. He flicked his wand, and I felt suspiciously lighter. I sat up and properly looked at him. Long hair and beard, blue eyes, glasses. He looked the same as he did on the chocolate frog cards.

"What is your name?" he asked. Should I tell him something else? A false name? What would Amycus do?

"Your parents tell me it is Desdemona," Dumbledore continued. That wasn't right. Amycus and Alecto wouldn't have told this fool anything.

"They couldn't have, they wouldn't,". Why was he lying like this? "Amycus and Alecto wouldn't tell you anything!". No wonder Amycus hates him, the man's delusional! I moved to get out of the bed. Dumbledore waved his wand and the restraints snapped back into place.

"You promised to stay put," he reminded me calmly. I glared at him, how dare he? He just insulted my family!

"There is something you need to be told," Dumbledore was looking grave and serious. I remained silent. What could I possibly say to this demented old man?

"Alecto Carrow is not your mother," he told me. That was crazy. Alecto had raised me, had given birth to me. How could she NOT be my mother? Even if she wasn't, who was? I looked like my father, Alecto and Amycus had both told me that.

"Yes, she is," I spoke for the first time to Dumbledore. "I am a Carrow, I am a pureblood,".

"It is my great pain to tell you this but Amycus and Alecto have been lying to you,". How could he continue to lie to my face like this? Alecto and Amycus love and respect me and have never lied to me. Ever. Not even when it might have prolonged my happiness. Why would you keep the truth from someone who is going to find it out anyway?

"No, they haven't," How had this fool ever become headmaster to the most prestigious magical school in Europe? He turned away from me and called to Pomfrey.

"I think it is time to let Hugo and Rose Granger in,". Madame Pomfrey raised an eyebrow, but said nothing and strode out of the Hospital Wing. She returned with a man and a woman who looked thoroughly non-descript. The woman was short and had massively bushy hair and the man had small eyes that were different shades of brown. The woman had obviously been crying. How weak.

"Dessie! Dessie!". The woman started running and grabbed me round the neck.

"Get off!". I went to this exceptionally rude woman off me, but she clung on muttering that stupid nickname. Dumbledore had vacated his seat while I was distracted and that was where the man landed once his legs gave out.

"We thought you were dead, Dessie," his voice cracked. The woman grasped me tighter, cutting off my breathing. I finally managed to get her off me, she landed on the floor.

"You are not my parents," I told them clearly, "Dumbledore has lied to you, just like he has been lying to me,". I would feel sorry for them if they weren't so pathetic.

"But Dessie..." the man spluttered. He looked like he'd been stabbed. I looked away from him, up the aisle. Potter was eating breakfast and talking to a house-elf. Even more disturbing was that the house-elf was wearing a tie and socks. A FREE elf. How disgraceful.

"Please leave, my real parents will be arriving for me post-haste, thank you,". They couldn't leave me here after all. The woman starts crying again and the man puts his hand on her back and looks at me reproachfully. I look away and scan the room, Pomfrey and Dumbledore are tending to Potter.

I seemingly disappear.

Being suddenly covered in never-ending sheets was disarming at first, when I finally escaped, they were already panicking. Talking in loud, overly calm voices about where I might have gone and how I did it and did I disapparate? No, course she couldn't, this is Hogwarts. I slipped under the wooden double doors and scuttled to the right. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm managing to avoid being stepped on as I entered vastly more populated areas. No girly screams of me being sighted, no crunch as my skeleton fractured under someone's shoe. It was frightening, I was the most insignificant being in the hall and there was no way to help that unless I blew my cover.

Once I was out of the fray, I slid past a tapestry and was picked up by a massive hand. I wiggled and squirmed and tried to sting it. But they obviously knew what they were doing. I did the only thing I could think of. I transformed back. The person, it was a boy, dropped me and I landed on my rear. Thank goodness for that hospital robe. He looked at me in shock. I have been told my beauty is stunning. He mouthed something, but shook his head.

"Do you know anywhere to hide in this castle?" I asked the boy. He wasn't bad-looking, dark skin and dreadlocks.

"Umm...". Was something wrong with him?

"Do you?". I NEEDED to go! He took a breath.

"Okay, don't tell them I told you this, if you keep going down this passage, it'll go upstairs and come out on the second floor. If you take the second right after turning left, you'll come to an unused girl's bathroom. Just lock yourself in one of the cubicles for a while," he held out his hand to help me up.

"So remember, down here, a left, not the first but the second right, and into the bathroom,". He pushed me forward a little bit and I started pacing down the corridor.

"Nice arse!" he yelled. Merlin's balls! I didn't think it was open at the back, I shrank down to avoid my rising blush and any further embarrassment. The corridor seemed to go on forever I moved down it. It probably took forever to traverse as a human, let alone a scorpion, like me. The tunnel finally ended and I came out of another tapestry. I turned left and started dodging more people.

Why isn't a class on? Isn't Hogwarts a school? Why are all these people still walking around? I passed a hall on the right and continued on, the stampede lessened, maybe Hogwarts was finally gaining some decorum. I came upon the second right and took it, the first door must have been the one the boy was referring to. I crawled under the door and came to the promised girls' bathroom. I stood up and patted the robe. I would've transfigured it, but I didn't see my wand in the Hospital Wing, and if I was going to escape, I couldn't waste time looking for it.

"Oooohh," squealed a voice, "I've heard about YOU,". A ghost floated through one of the cubicle doors.

"What have you heard?" I asked. What lies had they been spreading about me?

"That's there's a girl who looks just like Hermione Granger, SHE turned into a cat two years ago, who was with Death Eaters and that she's in the Hospital Wing,". The ghost was a young girl, with ponytails and glasses.

"Who is Hermione?". Everyone seemed to be raving about her. Potter had yelled about her in the graveyard, this ghost had just mentioned her, the fat Weasley woman had talked about her.

"She's this terrible muggleborn swot in Gryffindor, she goes around with HARRY POTTER, and that red-haired boy. Ralph, or whatever. Everyone says she's going out with HARRY and Victor Krum,". The Quidditch player? Mudblood,

"Greedy,". How dare she lead such an esteemed athlete on? I couldn't look anything like such a mudblood harlot!

"I know!". She was looking positively gleeful. "What's your name?". I told her, and she said her name was Myrtle. Myrtle. This had to be Moaning Myrtle. She had haunted a seventh-year when Alecto was in her first. She was a-

"Errg, mudblood!". How dare she think she could talk to me? Especially if she had already known of my own lineage. Myrtle started weeping and flew backwards through the cubicle door. A lot of water made a splashing noise and a pool of water emerge red from under the door.

"Intruder in the bathroom! Intruder in the bathroom!". She yelled, erupting from the floor and flying through the ceiling. This was bad. How would I escape? I ran to the window, how far could scorpions fall and still live? Even from only one floor up, it was still far too high for me to jump out as a human. Would a scorpion live? I put my foot on the ledge.

The door behind me opened and before I was able to get my next foot up, I fell backwards onto the stone floor. I was body-bound.

"Here she is," stated a voice. A male voice.

"She looks just like YOU, 'Mione," said another, the woman from before.

"It's uncanny," said a girl. I heard footsteps approaching me. A Weasley bent over and looked at me. Not the boy from before, then. THIS Weasley was tall for his age, with a long nose and covered in freckles. He had an odd expression on his face. He looked at me and then at something else. More footsteps, the Weasley did his strange eye pattern again. The woman dropped to her knees next to me and picked up my head. She was crying. Again.

"Dessie, Dessie," she sobbed. The girl walked over to stand next to the boy. She was right. It was uncanny. We were identical. Down to the last curl, we were IDENTICAL. My brown eyes stared at me, taking myself in. She opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it.

"We're gonna take you back to the Hospital Wing now, yeah?" said the Weasley. He flicked his wand and said "Mobilius Corpus,". My paralysed body rose up into the air and the woman laced her fingers with mine. My reflection, it had to be the famous Hermione Granger. As I floated down the halls, I stared at the ceiling, occasionally bumping into things. The woman was STILL sobbing. How many tears could one person have in themselves?

When we arrived, Dumbledore was still cool and calm. His eyes were twinkling. A pressing healer condition? The look made me think he'd known I'd try to break free. Was Dumbledore a Legilimens? I floated down the aisle, back to the back I'd woken up on. I was lowered and tucked in and then, finally, the counter-curse was performed. My body relaxed and Dumbledore came to sit on the chair that was next to the bed.

"I did tell you," he told me pleasantly. Merlin, would nothing stop him?

"What do you want from me?".

"I wish to reunite you with your real parents,".

"They aren't my real parents,". I had to at least try to make him see sense.

"You look like Rose," he told me. That must have been the name of the woman.

"I look like my father,".

"Who IS your father?" asked Dumbledore, I got the feeling it was a rhetorical question, one that he knew the answer to, but was asking anyway.

"Alecto never told me his name in case I was interrogated,". Like now.

"Your father is Hugo Granger," said Dumbledore.

"I look nothing like Granger,". How unobservant.

"You look like your mother,".

"I do not look like Alecto either,". How many times have I said this?

"Your mother is not Alecto Carrow," Dumbledore was perfectly calm.

"Then who, pray tell, is?" I was getting progressively more annoyed. Who did Dumbledore think he was?

"Your parents are Rose and Hugo Granger," Dumbledore finally came out with his lie. "Poppy," he turned to her, "please let the Grangers in," he requested.

"All of this excitement and fuss isn't good for a patient, Albus," she lectured.

"Nevertheless, happen it must, there is a family we must reunite,". How did he remain so stoic? Pomfrey harrumphed.

"Ten minutes, nothing more," she compromised and went to fetch the Grangers. I hadn't noticed when the woman had detached herself from me when I was recaptured. The woman and the man, Rose and Hugo, rushed down the aisle, much like they had earlier. She was STILL crying.

"Dessie!" she wailed. I looked up at the ceiling, better to not get her hopes up.

"Desdemona," I corrected. I hated Dessie, it was about time she ceased.

"Okay," she sat down on the chair, bumping into Dumbledore as she sat. I looked at her and once again she grasped my hand in both of hers.

"Desdemona, please. We are your parents, you look just like your sister," she prattled.

"I am not your daughter,". How many times do these people need to be told?

"We were told that you died," she sounded accusatory.

"It doesn't matter, I am not your daughter, I am Desdemona Carrow not Granger,". The woman paused, she pursed her lips and shook her head. She looked at her husband and back to me. This was getting rather old. Why couldn't she see we weren't related? I was a high-born pureblood, and they were... what exactly?

"What are you anyway?" I asked. In hindsight, this should have been one of my first questions.

"I'm sorry?" she asked breathily. Tears were rolling down her face.

"What. Are. You?" I restated. It was like talking to a small child. "Your blood?". The woman looked at her husband again and to Dumbledore, who gestured. She inhaled.

"Desdemona, darling, we're muggles,".


End file.
